Journalist Scott Wilson now gives strong admission on Sunderland’s striker after their lost to Leicester city

Mason Burstow is facing criticism in the aftermath of Sunderland’s loss to Leicester City. In the post-match analysis at the King Power Stadium, journalist Scott Wilson commented that the young striker appeared to be absent during the game.

Sunderland had been in search of a striker during the latter stages of the summer transfer window, and fans were initially hopeful when Mason Burstow arrived on loan from Chelsea. Burstow, a 20-year-old talent with a strong reputation at Stamford Bridge, had previously scored 10 goals in 25 appearances for Chelsea’s U-21 side. He had even made two brief appearances in the Premier League earlier in the season. Despite these promising credentials, the £3,000-per-week forward has struggled to make a significant impact since his move to Sunderland, and he is yet to score his first goal after seven starting appearances.

Following his omission from the squad in the loss to Stoke City, Burstow was given another opportunity in the recent match. However, his performance was less than impressive as he “went missing” against the Championship leaders. This underwhelming display could potentially lead to his removal from the starting lineup once again. In a video shared by Scott Wilson on X, the Northern Echo journalist expressed his concerns about Burstow, noting, “Mason Burstow looked promising tonight until he reached the 18-yard box, where he seemed to disappear. This is certainly a cause for concern, particularly for a center-forward.”

Can Mason Burstow turn things around?

Before his absence in the Stoke game, I was genuinely impressed with Mason Burstow’s contributions to the team, even though he wasn’t scoring goals. He appeared to be gaining confidence, and it wasn’t due to him missing opportunities – it seemed like he rarely had any to begin with. It’s unclear if this was because of his positioning or the team’s style of play not suiting him. Nevertheless, I was optimistic that he would eventually find the back of the net. However, his performance against Leicester may result in him being benched.

Sunderland supporters are accustomed to the outstanding displays of Ross Stewart, so there’s little tolerance for a striker like Burstow who struggles to score goals. Burstow’s saving grace is the lack of other prolific goal-scoring strikers in the team, which has afforded him more opportunities than he might have received elsewhere.